A Christmas Carol (1843)

A popular favorite and deservedly so. ( )

This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years. ( )

I am a big fan of this classic. The themes presented by Dickens are still found in today's society (greed, judgement, obsession with work and money, classism, poverty, etc.), which makes its message always relevant. The values the three ghosts strive to show Scrooge the importance of (love, compassion, empathy, generosity, kindness, etc.) are still universally desired traits in today's modern world.

Just finished my annual rereading of this classic. This book has been done and redone for movies and TV, so that it's almost become a cliche. I can't tell you how many different TV movies on Lifetime, ABC Family, and Hallmark Channel are rewwrites of this book. I'm not spoiling anything here by revealing the plotline. Scrooge, the old miser, gets a visit from his old partner, then from spirits of Christmas past, present, and future. After all this, he's a changed man. The power of this book is in the description of the characters and the scenes. It makes Victorian England c. 1843 come alive, something that the TV movies don't do. The spirit Scrooge fears most is the future. The past is secure. However much he hates what happened, it's already happened. The present is where he is. He's used to that. It's the future that is the unknown. It's especially scary when he finds out he's dead and no one cares. That's what shocks him into change. Read the original book, and find out why this is a classic. ( )

Everybody knows the story of 'A Christmas Carol'. It is a timeless classic. But I although I knew it, I had never read it. I'll admit, it was slightly difficult to get into but once I was up to the Last Spirit I flew through it. I think I just needed the time to sit down and devote my attention to it. And I am very, very glad that I did. ( )